Oblique stent

Abstract

A stent having a main body with a proximal end and a distal end section having proximal and distal openings used for treatment of lesions in blood vessels and hollow organs, particularly at the ostium of side branches. The stent adapts to the anatomical configuration of a vessel branch by having at least one oblique end section in at least its expanded state. Truncated versions of the oblique end section are described as well.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A tubular stent comprising:
 a stent first end; 
 a stent second end; 
 a longitudinal axis extending from said stent first end to said stent second end; and 
 an expandable stent wall extending from said stent first end to said stent second end along said longitudinal axis, said expandable stent wall comprising:
 a first circumferential ring connected to a second circumferential ring by a first connecting element, wherein said second circumferential ring is positioned adjacent to said first circumferential ring along said longitudinal axis; and 
 at least one terminal end piece connected to said second circumferential ring and positioned at said stent first end and adjacent to said second circumferential ring, wherein upon expansion of said tubular stent, said at least one terminal end piece is configured to expand into a substantially straight element forming an outer edge of said tubular stent at said stent first end, and 
 
 
       wherein upon expansion of said tubular stent, said stent first end is configured at an oblique angle to a plane which is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       2. The tubular stent of  claim 1 , wherein said stent second end is configured parallel to a plane which is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       3. The tubular stent of  claim 1 , wherein said stent first end is a truncated oblique end. 
     
     
       4. The tubular stent of  claim 3 , wherein stent first end includes a portion which is cut at an angle to a plane which is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and further includes a truncated portion which is cut parallel to a plane which is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       5. The tubular stent of  claim 1 , wherein said expandable stent wall is comprised of an architecture which in an unexpanded configuration is non-oblique and in an expanded configuration comprises at least one oblique end. 
     
     
       6. The tubular stent of  claim 1 , wherein said expandable stent wall includes a body portion having body portion strut elements and an end section having end section strut elements, wherein said end section strut elements have a different configuration than said body portion strut elements. 
     
     
       7. The tubular stent of  claim 6 , wherein said body portion strut elements are circumferentially arranged axially sinusoidal strut elements comprising proximal and distal peaks in a direction of said longitudinal axis, said axially sinusoidal strut elements forming neighboring circumferential rings, wherein a first circumferential ring is connected to a second circumferential ring via connecting elements attaching said distal peaks of said first circumferential ring to said proximal peaks of said second circumferential rings. 
     
     
       8. The tubular stent of  claim 6 , wherein said end section comprises:
 a first longitudinally sinusoidal outer edge strut; 
 a second longitudinally sinusoidal outer edge strut; and 
 an axially sinusoidal element comprising sinusoidal element proximal peaks and sinusoidal element distal peaks, said axially sinusoidal element sandwiched between said first and second longitudinally sinusoidal outer edge struts, wherein said terminal end piece is a terminal axially sinusoidal end piece comprising: 
 multiple sinusoidal portions having a shorter amplitude than an amplitude of said axially sinusoidal elements; 
 terminal end piece distal peaks and terminal end piece proximal peaks on said multiple sinusoidal portions; and 
 an end piece top left leg and an end piece bottom left leg, 
 wherein said sinusoidal element distal peaks are connected to said terminal end piece proximal peaks, and wherein said first longitudinally sinusoidal outer edge element is connected to said end piece top left leg and said second longitudinally sinusoidal outer edge element is connected to said end piece bottom left leg. 
 
     
     
       9. The tubular stent of  claim 7 , wherein said connecting elements are straight connecting elements. 
     
     
       10. The tubular stent of  claim 6 , wherein a number of said end section strut elements is smaller than a number of said body section strut elements. 
     
     
       11. The tubular stent of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one terminal end piece comprises axially sinusoidal strut elements.